October 18th 2011
- Raffles Hotel Singapore
On October 18th in Singapore more than 250 Economist readers, senior executives and intellectually curious "idea seekers" came together to exchange views on Asia at Banyan: Ideas for an Asian Century. This exciting inaugural event was inspired by The Economist's weekly column, Banyan, and jointly hosted by Simon Long, The Economist's Banyan columnist and Dominic Ziegler, Asia Editor of The Economist.
The event brought together some of Asia's leading thinkers to exchange fresh and creative views on and from the region, during an afternoon of interviews and panel discussions, followed by a thought-provoking gala dinner. The afternoon opened with an interview between Simon Long and Rajat Nag, managing director of the Asia Development Bank, in which they exchanged views on Asia's place in the world's economic infranstructure; it ended with a keynote address from Noeleen Heyzer, under-secretary-general of the United Nations, who spoke about sustaining Asia's economic dynamism through regional co-operation. Another highlight of the afternoon was a pre-recorded video interview with a “mystery guest” who turned out to be—much to the delight of the audience—Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar’s de-facto opposition.
The gala dinner portion of the event saw luminaries from across the region sharing what they believed to be “The Next Big Idea” within their respective fields—from Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of Penang, to Cho Won Hong, chief marketing officer of Hyundai Motor Company and Roshan Abbas, a film director, writer, personality and entrepreneur. Dominic Ziegler also invited the three winners of our Next Big Idea competition to join him on stage and present their views on the ideas they believe could successfully drive the region forward.
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Banyan: Ideas for an Asian Century
Draft programme
| 3.00pm | Arrival coffee |
| 3.40pm | Banyan welcome Does 'Asia' exist? An accident of cartography or an emerging, coherent continent? Asia has historically been based on a manufacturing coastal model with ports exporting goods west. This is changing fast. With increased regional and economic links—clearly demonstrated after the destruction in Japan—and larger, richer domestic markets, business in Asia is no longer founded on adapting technological advances made in the West to local market conditions. Are assumptions of what a new Asia will offer the world correct? Simon Long, Banyan Columnist, The Economist |
| 4.00pm | How will global governance architectures change with the coming of Asia? Since the advent of global economic, financial and governance institutions, they have been dominated by Western figures and influence. No doubt this is a result of the relative economic strength of developed markets, but is it now time for change? Are Asian countries accorded the right representation or are expectations too high? Where is Asia’s place in the world’s economic infrastructure? Rajat M. Nag, Managing Director General, Asian Development Bank Natalia Soebagjo, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Governance, University of Indonesia Simon Long, Banyan Columnist, The Economist |
| 4.35pm | Will Asia continue to develop without justice and what does justice mean? Video link interivew... Simon Long, Banyan Columnist, The Economist |
| 4.55pm | What role will Asia play in global security? Asia's security structure is in flux. The leading role played by the United States since 1945 can no longer be taken for granted, as China and, to a lesser extent, India become regional powers. It is still unclear what the role of a future China and India will be. Will they take up the role of shaping regional order or work within it? Do they have imperialist aspirations? The region is home to some of the world's biggest unresolved sovereignty disputes—Korea, Taiwan, the South China Sea and Kashmir—yet lacks any serious regional security institutions. There must still be a risk that the Asian century is derailed by conflict.
David D. Arnold, President, Asia Foundation Dominic Ziegler, Asia Editor, The Economist Affairs |
| 5.30pm | Keynote address: Sustaining Asia's Economic Dynamism through Regional Co-operation Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP |
| 6.00pm | Cocktail reception |
| 7.00pm | DINNER SESSION |
| 7.05pm | Views from Banyan The Economist's eponymous Asian affairs column pores over the issues that are key to the region's future. With clarity and wit and a passion for overturning dogma, it offers fresh and challenging perspectives on the "Asian miracle". Simon Long, Banyan Columnist, The Economist |
| 7.20pm | How will Asian innovation change the world? Economic growth in a Western context is typically associated with technological and business innovation, but what is innovation? In Asia, where societies are developing in many sectors, only an interplay among social, economic and political innovation, which is absent in the West, creates sustainable progress. Thought vanguards: Anil Gupta, Michael D. Dingman Chair in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, The University of Maryland at College Park and Visiting Professor of Strategy, INSEAD John Naisbitt, Author, Megatrends Said Irandoust, President, Asian Institute of Technology Simon Long, Banyan Columnist, The Economist |
| 7.50pm | Debate: Is Asia truly innovative? Fredrik Haren, Author, The Idea Book |
| 8.15pm | Dinner served |
| 8.55pm | Your next big idea Three short listed entrants share fresh and insightful perspectives on Asia. Dominic Ziegler, Asia Editor, The Economist |
| 9.05pm | NEXT BIG IDEA―POLITICS Increasing pressure on resources, sovereignty disputes and lack of regional security infrastructure, how will Asia avoid conflict in the future? Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang |
| 9.15pm | NEXT BIG IDEA―TECHNOLOGY How is Asia reshaping global trends and the application of technology? Cho Won Hong, Chief Marketing Officer, Hyundai Motor Company |
| 9.25pm | NEXT BIG IDEA―ARTS AND CULTURE How will a new wealthy generation of Asians affect regional character and what impact will today's inspired young have on the Asian proposition? Roshan Abbas, Film director, Writer, Personality and Entrepreneur |
| 9.35pm | Group discussion Our big idea presenters join the stage once again for a group discussion. Dominic Ziegler, Asia Editor, The Economist |
| 9.55pm | Final thoughts of the evening Host: |
| 10.05pm | END |
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Simon Long, Asia Columnist, The Economist
Simon Long took up this post, based in Singapore, in August 2010. Before that, he had worked in London for four years, as the magazine's Asia editor, and for four years prior to that as South Asia bureau chief based in Delhi.
Dominic Ziegler, Asia Editor, The Economist
Dominic Ziegler has spent over two decades with The Economist, and is currently its Asia Editor, based in London.
Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Executive Secretary of The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and The Pacific
Noeleen Heyzer is the ninth executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). She is the first woman to occupy this position since its founding in 1947.
Rajat M. Nag, Managing Director General, Asian Development Bank
Rajat M. Nag is the Managing Director General of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He has been with the institution for more than two decades and assumed his current position in December 2006.
David D. Arnold, President, The Asia Foundation
David D. Arnold became the president of The Asia Foundation on January 1st 2011, after serving as the tenth president of the American University in Cairo (AUC) for seven years.
John Naisbitt, Author, Megatrends
After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, and after his studies in Utah, Harvard and Cornell, John Naisbitt worked as an executive for IBM and Kodak. In 1963 he became the Assistant Secretary of Education to President Kennedy.
Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang
Mr Lim Guan Eng was appointed as the fourth Chief Minister of Penang after winning the Air Putih State Assembly Seat in the Malaysian general elections held in March 2008.
Roderick M. Hills, Chairman and Founder, Hills Program on Governance, Centre for Strategic and International Studies
Roderick M. Hills is a partner in the law firm of Hills Stern & Morley and Counselor to Hills & Company International Consultants. He is also the Chairman and Founder of the Hills Program on Governance.
Roshan Abbas, MD-Encompass, Media Entrepreneur and Film Director
Roshan Abbas has spent two decades gathering domain expertise in radio, television, theatre, events and BTL and has recently entered Bollywood with his directorial debut under the banner of Shahrukh Khan's Red Chillies Production.
Kripa Sridharan, Head of Research Asia, World-Check
Kripa Sridharan is the Head of Research, Asia for World-Check. She was an Adjunct Associate Professor in the South Asian Studies Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore from August 2007 to 2010.
Fredrik Härén, Author, The Idea Book
Fredrik Härén is a Swedish entrepreneur, publisher and author who lives in Singapore. He is the founder of a creativity company called interesting.org, and has been invited to speak on creativity in over 30 countries.
Cong Cao, Associate Professor and Reader, School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, University of Nottingham
Dr Cong Cao is an Associate Professor and Reader at the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham. He is one of the leading scholars in the studies of China's science, technology and innovation.
Cho Won Hong, Chief Marketing Officer, Hyundai Motor Company
Mr Cho oversees marketing for Hyundai Motor Company globally. Prior this role, he spent 12 years working for the Monitor Group, a global management consultancy, where he served as a global partner and President of the Korean office.
Natalia Soebagjo, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Governance, University of Indonesia
In addition to her role at the University of Indonesia, Ms Soebagjo is also board member of the Independent Team for Bureaucracy Reform, which provides policy input to the National Bureaucracy Reform committee, chaired by Vice-President Boediono.
Said Irandoust, President, Asian Institute of Technology
Said Irandoust is currently the president of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), which is based in Thailand. Prior to joining AIT, he was the vice chancellor of the University of Borås, Sweden from 2001–05.
Dr. Anil K. Gupta, Michael D. Dingman Chair in Strategy & Entrepreneurship, The University of Maryland at College Park, Visiting Professor of Strategy, INSEAD
Anil is the Michael Dingman Chair in Strategy at The University of Maryland and a Visiting Professor at INSEAD. The coauthor of "Getting China and India Right," he is considered a leading expert on strategy, globalization, and emerging markets.
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In the spirit of encouraging innovative thinking on Asia's future, The Economist invited submissions on The Next Big Idea that will make this Asia's century. We sought original, thought-provoking submissions that demonstrate careful consideration of an idea that would position Asia even more firmly on the global stage.
We would like to thank everyone who participated in the competition - we thoroughly enjoyed reviewing all your submissions and appreciated the time taken to share your ideas with us.
We are delighted to announce our three shortlisted entrants--their full Next Big Idea submissions are below:
- Rebecca Tan
- Swapnil Pawar
- Chua Yuan Cheng
Chua Yuan Cheng
Redefine Our Wo(l)rd
Will it be an Asian Century? Or will it going to be a reflection of the Western world in the 20th century? Times have changed, but our language has not. Words like development, wealth, business, rich and developed continue to demonstrate our reliance on the Western world for ideas. What do those words actually mean?
I believe that it is time for us in Asia to write our own narrative of what our future would be, and not blindly copy the Western growth model of the 19th and 20th centuries. And it must start by redefining the words we use.
What does being developed means to us? Is it the ability to churn out goods like machines and pursuit them blindly? Or does it encompass more? Like the ability for all to access uncontaminated food, air and water; to be happy and carefree in our professional and family lives; to participate freely in society without fear or favour; to be able to enjoy nature and the biodiversity we are bestowed with.
What does being wealthy means? Is it the ability to own many luxury cars, houses and yachts that we may not even use? Or is it the contentment of one to share his love with and contribute to society; to build and sustain meaningful family and community ties; to be good steward of the environment and wildlife?
Ultimately, the end goal affects the process. How does Asia hope to be like in the 22nd century – the soul of our society; the efficiency of our cities; the ability for our descendents to enjoy an undisturbed nature environment, amid the hustle and bustle of city life – is all dependent on how we define our future, and by extension, the path we take. And it starts by redefining our words.
Rebecca Tan
My next big idea for Asia is to support mixed soccer teams for school children.
Why? A recent report by the Asian Development Bank and the International Labour Organisation stated that approximately 45% of the productive potential of women is not realised in Asia. A large proportion of Asian women are engaged in underpaid and informal work. This gender inequality in the labour market is symptomatic of much wider spread social-cultural discrimination and the prevalence of gender stereotypes.
Soccer is often seen as a traditionally male domain with major international tournaments, such as the World Cup, being only open to male soccer players and the rough and tumble of the sport perceived as unsuitable for girls... Encouraging girls to play soccer with boys challenges stereotypes of what is conventional behaviour for girls, both in the minds of the girls and boys... this provides a platform that allows children of both genders to question gender inequality and stereotypes. This challenging of gender norms at such a young age will hopefully provide the basis for changing mindsets among young Asians about the vital role of women in society and enable women and Asia as a whole to reach their full potential.
Swapnil Pawar
Pre-empting the next world war in Asia through timely institutional building
As Asia grows in economic and political significance, it might experience power struggles similar to those in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. The suffering and destruction associated with wars borne out of these can be avoided. Asia needs to pre-emptively create supra-national institutions which are sufficiently empowered to act as stabilizers against nationalistic forces in its individual nation-states.
The present supra-national institutions are almost without exception products of western politico-economic developments in the previous century. Their biggest hurdle in being able to deal with large scale Asian conflicts is their legacy and their present constitution borne out of it. Asia is represented to various degrees in these institutions – but nowhere does it actually play a central role. Thus Asia of the future may have no well-oiled forum to sort out its nation-to-nation differences.
Asian nations should establish an Asia-centric forum with the primary objective of pre-empting large scale conflicts through reducing friction amongst its members. This forum can facilitate easier trade and stronger people-to-people dialogue through peaceful times. However, when needed, it should have sufficient teeth to be able to exert influence in a tactical sense also. A starting point for achieving this should be peace-keeping force of Asia with a shared command amongst all Asian nations.
This forum should also have a panel of experts to forewarn brewing differences amongst major nations. To enable positive pre-emptive action, it should build multiple lines of communication amongst the leading nations e.g. amongst the leading opposition parties of the major nations as also peace-oriented think tanks and influential NGOs.
While the course of geopolitics cannot be fully altered by institution building alone, such a forum can provide the much-needed leverage to peace-lovers in the times of crisis.
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